Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Almonds.
Hi Jake, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hello again, readers!
It has been three years since my last interview with the gang at Carolina Voyager, and I’m excited to share what I’ve been up to since 2023.
The magazine first caught up with me back then while I was escaping the harsh Pennsylvania winter in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina. At the time, I was DJing, rollerblading, and enjoying the local skate park. Since then, life has taken me on quite the ride!
I’m DJ Jake Almonds, owner of Nutz4Muzik DJ Service, a small family business established in 2006 and passed down to me in 2019. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to wear some pretty exciting hats, including serving as an Executive DJ for the Baltimore Orioles and working as a special event DJ at Hersheypark’s After Dark events during the fall season.
My work has taken me to events from coast to coast, and in 2024, I had the opportunity to work with legendary bands Hoobastank and Everclear. In 2023, I also made my television debut on Season 15 of The Blox, the world’s first game show created specifically for entrepreneurs competing for cash prizes.
These days, you’ll find me balancing a few different worlds. During the week, I run the kitchen at a neighborhood daycare center, where I help prepare and send out approximately 1,000 meals each week for students and staff. Outside of that, I’m juggling college classes along with DJ gigs ranging from karaoke nights to formal events like weddings, keeping my evenings and weekends pretty busy.
And, of course, I’m always looking for the next big idea.
Right now, I’m in the process of reinventing karaoke with something I like to call “Parking Lot Karaoke.” The concept is simple: partner with local businesses and shops to bring live, inclusive entertainment directly to their parking lots and customers. The best part? It creates a fun experience for the community while giving local businesses free marketing through the social media posts and word-of-mouth for me generated by their customers.
Three years later, I’m still doing what I love—bringing people together through music, entertainment, and a little bit of entrepreneurial creativity. The journey has definitely changed, but one thing hasn’t: I’m always looking for the next song, the next event, and the next opportunity to make some noise!
Don’t forget to check out my previous chats with Carolina Voyager magazine.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After years inside the system, I realized something: the only way to do this job with integrity was to do it on my own terms. To build a business where transparency wasn’t a threat but a foundation. Where clients knew exactly who they were hiring. Where DJs were paid fairly. Where experience mattered more than margins.
My business grew out of frustration — but also out of love. Love for the craft. Love for the nights where everything clicks. Love for the moments when a crowd becomes a community and a playlist becomes a memory.
I didn’t want to be part of a system that treated DJs like disposable labor. I wanted to build one that treated them like the professionals they are.
A seasoned DJ doesn’t just show up and press play. They build the night from the ground up. They manage signal flow, balance audio levels, fix gear failures, coordinate with photographers, calm nervous couples, and keep a room of 200 people moving in the same direction. When something breaks — and something always breaks — the DJ is the one who saves the night.
But in many entertainment companies, that expertise is treated like an optional luxury. Instead of sending out professionals, they send whoever is available. Instead of valuing skill, they value cost. And instead of investing in the people who make their business possible, they invest in marketing that hides how the business actually works. It’s the equivalent of hiring a master electrician and getting a journeyman — while still paying the master’s rate.
In the wedding and events world, the DJ is often seen as the person who “plays the music.” But anyone who’s ever stood behind a mixer during a chaotic reception knows the truth: a real DJ is an engineer, a troubleshooter, a crowd psychologist, and the last line of defense when anything goes wrong. It’s a job that demands precision under pressure — and yet, in the modern entertainment industry, the people doing the hardest work are often the ones earning the least.
For years, I watched this imbalance play out from inside the system. I saw how large entertainment companies marketed themselves as elite, premium, and professional, while quietly relying on inexperienced DJs to carry the weight of their reputation. I saw how they charged clients top shelf prices but sent out talent that was closer to entry level. And I saw how the people who actually made the night happen — the DJs — were treated as replaceable parts in a machine designed to maximize profit, not quality.
That’s the part of the story most clients never see. But it’s the part that shaped my life and my business.
Another quiet profit booster is gear dependency. Even when a DJ owns most of their equipment, companies often “rent” essential items — usually speakers and basic lighting — back to them. The DJ’s pay is reduced by hundreds of dollars simply because they used company gear.
This creates a system where:
• DJs who own gear earn more
• DJs who don’t earn less
• Companies prefer DJs who earn less
It’s not about quality. It’s about margin. And it keeps DJs dependent, inexperienced, and underpaid.
After years inside the system, I realized something: the only way to do this job with integrity was to do it on my own terms. To build a business where transparency wasn’t a threat but a foundation. Where clients knew exactly who they were hiring. Where DJs were paid fairly. Where experience mattered more than margins. They are brokers — and brokers thrive on opacity.
My life in this industry taught me that transparency isn’t just good ethics; it’s good business. When clients understand what they’re paying for, and DJs understand what they’re worth, everyone wins except the companies that rely on secrecy to survive, I’m fine with that. I know a pyramid scheme when I see one.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nutz4Muzik DJ Service?
Nutz4Muzik was formed by my father after our family packed up and moved from Kansas to Pennsylvania in 2001. His goal was simple: keep my younger brother and me out of trouble while using the business as a way to bring us closer together as a family.
From the beginning, the goal wasn’t really about making money. It was about teaching us the power music has to bring people together and showing us what we could accomplish when we worked as a team.
My role was the front man and emcee—a role I like to say I was born for. My younger brother, Tyler, developed a passion for lighting and rigging, while my dad, Alan, handled the music and guided us as we grew. Dad even built many of our subwoofers in our garage and would offer our equipment and services to just about any charity event he could find.
I’d like to think our efforts have helped change a lot of lives over the years, but if I had to choose one story that represents what Nutz4Muzik is all about, I’d point to the Anderson/Snyder Fund. This annual event ran for more than 10 years and ultimately raised enough money to become a self-sustaining charity. Today, it continues to support the families of veterans who lost their lives overseas, helping provide essentials such as food and financial assistance with bills.
There have been countless other events along the way, from small community fundraisers to large-scale 12-hour Mini-THON events supporting Penn State cancer research. At one point, the team had raised well over $1 million through these efforts. I stopped trying to keep track after that.
That spirit of giving has become one of the cornerstones of Nutz4Muzik. Philanthropy isn’t just something we do—it’s part of who we are. The business may have grown and evolved over the years, but the original mission my father started in 2001 remains the same: use music, entertainment, and the skills we have to bring people together and make a positive impact in our community.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Two years ago, I chased what I thought would be the perfect summer job on the West Coast — a chance to travel, work with animals, and sharpen my crowd work and microphone skills. After six months of interviews, Zoom calls, and promises of paid training, I accepted the offer believing I was stepping into a role that aligned with my passions. I expected growth, adventure, and a chance to perform.
I was wrong.
The moment I arrived; the job revealed a very different reality. A “secondary show,” never mentioned during the hiring process, quickly became my full‑time responsibility. Instead of performing, I found myself hauling equipment that weighed over 300 pounds in the California heat. My supervisor — the owner’s son — consistently dismissed my show during practice, making it clear I would never be given the chance to perform. I hadn’t traveled thousands of miles to be a laborer, yet that’s exactly what I had become.
The hardest lesson came from what I witnessed behind the scenes. The show involved pig racing, and the treatment of the animals was nothing like what had been described. Piglets were taken from their mothers at birth, kept intentionally hungry, and trained to race for food. They were fed only the minimum needed to survive, with pellets tossed into pens rather than given individually. After less than three months, once they grew too large to race, they were replaced with new babies and sent off to be sold. Seeing animals treated as disposable props left a lasting impact on me.
By week six on the road, I knew I had been taken advantage of. Before I could even confront the situation or make a plan to leave, the decision was made for me. I was abandoned in Yuba City, California — left to find my own way home with no support, no transportation, and no explanation. Standing there alone, thousands of miles from home, everything became painfully clear: the lack of transparency, the disregard for workers, and the complete absence of accountability weren’t accidents. They were the business model.
I won’t name the company, but it’s a well‑known act in California fairs and based in Oregon. What matters more than the name is the lesson: transparency is everything. When businesses hide the truth — whether about job expectations, working conditions, or ethical practices — people get hurt. I felt misled, undervalued, and complicit in something I didn’t believe in.
That summer reshaped how I approach my own work. It taught me that honesty isn’t just a virtue; it’s a responsibility. Today, transparency is one of the core values in my business. I want people to know exactly what they’re stepping into, what they’re being paid for, and what they can expect. No surprises. No hidden agendas. No fine print.
It was a tough lesson to learn, but it’s one that continues to guide me — and one I’m grateful for now. It didn’t just change how I work; it changed who I am as a leader.
Pricing:
- $150 per hour, events under 5 hours (Music and Lights Only)
- $1800 and up, Base includes Cocktail, Reception 4 Hours) with Lights and Microphone
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/dj-jake-almonds-york-pa-2078856
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/DJake-Almonds-61577005127818/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakealmonds2738
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nutz-4-muzik-dj-with-jake-almonds-east-york-2
